Post by Lisa Collinson FCIPD

This morning I swapped boardrooms, proposals and leadership frameworks for engines, horsepower and a very enthusiastic teenager. Finn took me to Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb and spent the day teaching me more about cars than I think I’ve learned in the previous 53 years combined. Apparently, an M5 BMW isn’t just a BMW. It’s connected to BMW’s motorsport heritage. There are reasons people get excited about flat-six engines, turbos, naturally aspirated power, weight distribution and things called “proper driver’s cars”. Who knew? I know I didn’t! What struck me wasn’t just the engineering. It was the passion. Thousands of people gathered on a hillside in rural Worcestershire to watch cars race up a strip of tarmac that has been doing exactly that for over a century. Drivers tweaking setups. Families sharing knowledge. Volunteers keeping everything running. Generations standing side by side, united by something they care deeply about. And as I listened to Finn explaining engines, gearboxes and performance figures with the confidence of someone twice his age, I was reminded of something we talk about constantly in leadership and learning: People learn best when they’re curious. Nobody had given Finn a mandatory training course on motorsport. No one had set him a development objective. No one was measuring his engagement scores. He’s simply interested. And when people are interested, they’ll willingly spend hours learning, experimenting, teaching others and deepening their expertise. The challenge for leaders isn’t getting people to learn. It’s creating environments where curiosity can flourish. Because when curiosity turns up, effort follows naturally. Also, I now know far more about Subaru rally cars than I ever expected to. Progress. 🚗💨 #Leadership #Learning #Curiosity #ShelsleyWalsh #Motorsport #LearningCulture #LeadershipDevelopment P.S. The view wasn’t bad either. Sometimes the best classroom is a hillside, a race track, and a teenager who knows more than you do. 😊